Cuneo is «Alpine Town of the Year 2024»
The provincial capital of Cuneo in the Piedmont region holds the title of “Alpine Town of the Year” in 2024. For the international jury, Cuneo is an Alpine town par excellence.
A double reason to celebrate: at the opening of the traditional 24th Chestnut Fastival, Cuneo was awarded the title of “Alpine Town of the Year” 2024. At the General Assembly of the association of the same name, the town with 56,000 inhabitants was chosen as the title holder 2024. Also present at the association’s headquarters in Sonthofen/DE was a delegation consisting of Councillor Alessandro Spedale, Marta Minore from the Cuneo Municipality, Jacopo Elia from the Youth Association of the Italian Alpine Association CAI, Gabriele Farina as Chair of the Youth Council and Roberto Monaco, representative of the Italian network for mediators in rural areas Rifai.
“It is a great honour for us,” says a delighted Patrizia Manassero, Mayor of Cuneo. “As an Alpine town, we can look at 2024 from the point of view of the mountains and the whole region, and forge links with other towns in the Alpine region that are just as closely linked to the mountains, with all the challenges that this entails.”
“The award of Cuneo as Alpine Town of the Year 2024 confirms the path we have been following these years,” confirms Councillor Alessandro Spedale. “It provides an opportunity for constructive exchanges that will point to new solutions to the pressing needs of this mountain region.”
Responsible policy beyond the city limits
“Alpine towns, despite their often small size, have an outstanding importance for the surrounding areas: You could say that you should multiply the number of inhabitants of an Alpine town by ten to get an idea of its importance compared to non-Alpine metropolises,” explains Wolfger Mayrhofer, Deputy Secretary General of the Alpine Convention at the General Assembly. “This also applies to the town of Cuneo, which implements numerous international projects on climate change, for example,” said jury president Norbert Weixlbaumer, who had examined the city’s candidacy for the title. Cuneo is also committed to the valorisation of the Ferrovia delle Meraviglie (Railway of Wonders), a historic cross-border connection between Cuneo and Nice.
At the local level, the Local Agenda 2030 Strategic Plan sets the course and includes key topics such as social inclusion, energy and recycling, soft (commuter) mobility and the protection of biodiversity. With the 5,500-hectare protected area on the Gesso and Stura rivers in the immediate vicinity of the city, Cuneo directly manages a protected natural and wetland area that also serves local recreation. The recently established “Metromontagna” department of the city administration is specifically concerned with the city’s connection to the surrounding countryside and the opportunities and challenges this brings. As another example of a forward-looking policy, the city has created the Ferruccio PARRI’ URBAN PARK according to the sponge city principle.
The title of “Alpine Town of the Year” is not only a confirmation of the achievements to date, but also an incentive to continue to be guided by the measure of a good future for all. With its implemented and planned measures, Cuneo joins the network of towns implementing the Alpine Convention as another worthy representative.